Use the PHS Assignment Request Form

Use the PHS Assignment Request Form

Use the optional PHS Assignment Request Form to list expertise needed to review your application, exclude reviewers, and request an institute assignment.

For investigator-initiated R01, R21, and R03 applications, we also advise you to request assignment to the most appropriate study section of reviewers.

In any case, it’s a good idea to consult a program officer to get his or her advice on the appropriate institute and study section assignments.

In the absence of a request from you, NIH’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will assign your application to an institute and study section. CSR bases assignments on its referral criteria, relying on referral staff and knowledge-based technologies to decide.

While CSR staff usually honor your request, they are not required to, and they may make a different assignment based on NIH referral guidelines and workload factors.

NIH saves the form separately, so you won’t see it included in your application image after you apply. Your peer reviewers won’t see it, either.